NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - Spotting snakes isn’t uncommon in East Texas, but with flooding from recent rainfall, those sightings could increase. To prepare, the Nacogdoches Parks and Recreation Department is planning to teach people which kinds of snakes they should be most cautious of.

“We are going to have Ray Cole with our Nacogdoches Fire Department bring in some venomous and nonvenomous snakes, and he is going to teach us what is good about each one, what is bad about each one,” said Victoria Schmidt of Nacogdoches Parks and Recreation.

This is especially so after recent storms and flooding. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension states that snakes are often forced from their natural habitats and sometimes take shelter in and around houses.

“We want to do it at the beginning of summer since we’ve had our rainy season and we want to educate people before they get out in their yards this summer,” Schmidt said.

Ray Cole handles education for the Nacogdoches Venom Response Team, who responds to 911 calls to capture and relocate snakes from houses and yards. Though many would rather kill a snake once they see it, Cole advises against this approach.

“Not every snake – you see it and you can just leave it alone and it’s not gonna hurt you,” Schmidt said.

Cole and the Venom Response Team say many people are bitten while trying to kill a snake. They hope that by learning to identify venomous and nonvenomous snakes, people will respond to snakes in a safer way.

Cole says anyone who spots a snake in their home or yard should call 911 to have it removed. The venomous snake identification event will be held Thursday in the Nacogdoches Recreation Center at 5:30 p.m.

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Ryan Ordmandy is a multi-media journalist for KTRE 9. He is originally from Paris, Tennessee and moved to Van, Texas in 2010. Ryan graduated magna cum laude from Texas Tech University in 2017 with a degree in Electronic Media and Communications.